Monthly Archives: March 2016

Ancestry offers free-access weekend to UK and Commonwealth records

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Gail Dever

Ancestry.co.uk is offering free access to “billions of UK and Commonwealth records from Australia to Canada” until Monday, March 28, 11:59 p.m. BST, which I think works out to 7:59 p.m. Eastern time. To view these records you will need … Continue reading →

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Archaeology society wants to ‘search’ Newfoundland and Labrador attics

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Gail Dever

To my friends in Newfoundland and Labrador, it is time to look inside those long-forgotten boxes stashed away in your closets, drawers, attics, and basements. The Newfoundland and Labrador Archaeological Society is searching for artifacts unearthed over the years by … Continue reading →

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CBC Radio to broadcast ‘Ireland 1916’ special on Sunday

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Gail Dever

CBC Radio will broadcast The Triumph of Failure: Ireland 1916, a special two-hour program commemorating the centenary of the Easter Rising. The program can be heard on Sunday, March 27, after the 9:00 a.m. news (Eastern time), on CBC Radio’s … Continue reading →

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Is your name on this list of Windsor-area family histories?

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Gail Dever

The Essex Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society in Windsor has created a list of names of families whose research has been donated by family members or compiled by Branch members and housed in the Family History section of the … Continue reading →

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Fact du jour — First newspaper in Canada published on this day in history

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Gail Dever

On March 23, 1752, John Bushell started publishing Canada’s first regular newspaper, the Halifax Gazette. At the time, Halifax had a population of 4,000, and Bushell had recently arrived from Boston. The two-page tabloid featured news from Britain, Europe, New … Continue reading →

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Facebook for Australian genealogy

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Gail Dever

On her blog, Lonetester HQ, Alona Tester has produced a list of more than 150 Facebook groups and pages about Australian genealogy, including local history groups. She has divided the list into Australia in general, New South Wales, Queensland, South … Continue reading →

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Savoir fair — Saskatchewan society’s index of official name changes remains useful resource

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Gail Dever

More than 20 years ago, the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society prepared an index of name changes documented in The Saskatchewan Gazette between 1917 and 1950, and the index remains a useful genealogy resource today. On March 27, 1933 the Change of … Continue reading →

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Cornell builds database of historical runaway slave ads

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Gail Dever

Cornell University in Ithaca, New York has begun a project to compile a database of historical runaway slave advertisements published in newspapers. The project involves digitizing, preserving, organizing, and enabling analysis of all surviving runaway ads. Runaway slave ads were … Continue reading →

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Fact du jour — North America’s first census conducted 350 years ago today

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Gail Dever

Perhaps because it was spring, intendant Jean Talon began conducting a census of New France on March 21, 1666 — 350 years ago. That was the first time an official census had been conducted in North America. Talon had been … Continue reading →

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New books in LAC’s genealogical collection

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Gail Dever

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has acquired several of books that may help genealogists research their family history. Below are some of the books, with my translation/explanation inside square brackets. To see the full list, read LAC’s blog post, New … Continue reading →

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